I haven't used it, but I've heard MIcrospun snags on every little thing---which is why I've stayed away. I'm making branching out in some cotton right now and it's actually working out really well, so maybe it would work for your project. And I think she's right, it prolly doesn't matter what yarn you use. Even Simply Soft in black might work really well. And be cheaper! (one track mind... )

I'm knitting a sweater in the round and I'm using Stitch N Bitch Nation to talk me through it. I'm basically designing my own sweater to fit my measurements, and while I actually have nothing knit yet, I find it very useful and comforting. There's an entire chapter on sweaters, all the math involved, etc.

I find it sometimes helps to do a row or two of unjoined knitting before joining -- there is a little gap to sew up at the end but it means that you know that it isn't twisted.

This was my second brilliant idea to fix it. I knit like 4 rows and then carefully laid everything down, smoothed everything out...and screwed it all up. Yep. I dunno, maybe I didn't have enough chocolate/sugar/coffee today, but in hindsight that's highly doubtful. Maybe it was all the fault of the sugar rush.

I'm trying to knit my first sweater. It's a top down raglan, really really simple, all stockinette, and every time I join I end up twisting no matter what I do. Does anyone have any tips to avoid this? I've checked around on the internet and it just says "Don't do it." Any help? I really really want this sweater.